A Stranger Among Us

Here's a very low-key movie that centers around Hassidic Jews and their lifestyles, similar to what "Witness" was with the Amish people. I found it to be interesting look at the Hassidic way of life.

The first half of the film is much better than the second half, or this would rated higher. It has two big things going for it: wonderful golden-hued cinematography and not much gratuitous sex and profanity. It's probably too low-key, at least in that second half which needed more suspense and action to be a better-liked and known film.

Despite being difficult believing the soft-spoken Melanie Griffith as a tough NYC cop, she still does an excellent job in the lead role and Eric Thai, ditto, as the romantic interest. There are a few disappointments in the last part of the film but the very ending is good and surprised me.

Technically a mystery, the real focus was on the movement of Griffith from an OK life toward a real life. While she enjoyed being a cop and having a good partner, one quietly becomes aware of how shallow and lonely her life really is. No friends, no supportive family, no grounding, and certainly no joy.

Her immersion into a vibrant religious community slowly opens her eyes. The scene of the joy filled celebration of Sabbath is beautifully well done. Being treated as a daughter by the Rebbe who also understood what it meant to deal with evil as much as she did was key. That she is attracted to a handsome man is secondary to her attraction to what he represented - integrity, knowing who he was, using a range of natural and developed gifts, being an integral part of a supportive community, and finding joy within a chosen structure.

There is one rather violent scene, and the language while accurate, is questionable for all family members.

I'd say this movie was a showcase of ham, but then, I respect Jews. (And no, I'm not Jewish).

First off, Melanie Griffith as a hard-boiled cop is like casting Prissy from "Gone With The Wind" as Dirty Harry. Her "bad-ass mama justice" remarks come off about as well as they would if they were cooed by Linda Lovelace in the script of a porn movie. Seeing her simper and flirt and do all that coy crap around the young Talmudic scholar also disgusted me. I mean, the woman was assigned to investigate a disappearance in the Hasidic community and she shows up in a mini-skirt and says "s**t" in front of the rebbe within the first five minutes of the interview. Was she nodding off during all those diversity training seminars and community relations lectures at the police academy or what? Even if she was, wouldn't you expect someone who grew up in New York to have at least *some* familiarity with Judaism?

She treats every one of the Hasidim with arrogant condescension, in the type of "rude asshole" role that makes a viewer's teeth ache, yet we're supposed to somehow care whether, by the end of the movie, she's managed to understand and perhaps even respect them somewhat. And most of her "respect" is an outgrowth of her having the hots for Rebbe, Jr. Between insulting both Hasidic spirituality and the ability of a woman to perform as a professional without falling for some guy -- I mean, does our "heroine" do this on EVERY assignment or something? -- this movie is a busy two hours. Too bad it wasn't a better spent two hours for me. Thumbs DOWN.

Most comments refer to this as some kind of Witness rip-off. Sorry - just don't agree. Going 'undercover' in another culture was not patented by Witness. The parallels are just not there - so who was the 'Witness, in SAU? That's just one question. Then again if one has only 5 pigeon holes (or less) to file films into - then go ahead.

MG was just fine in the film - her voice is always going to be with her - and she's made it through 100 roles already with it.

The portrayal of the Hassidim was surely an education for many.

The 'background filming' was good - even as a born New Yorker - got to see some new 'shots'

The plot was there - but jumpy - I doubt very many predicted the killers - but did wonder why accomplices not revealed.

Sure there were inconsistencies and illogical stuff - but not any more than the bloody Crichton films which most of the time require you have to forget you have a brain - yet take themselves VERY seriously. SAU was not written as a documentary - it's overall flow was there - AND very much enjoyable.

I truly enjoyed this movie, despite bad reviews and comments about Melanie Griffith's role being not suited to her. It takes a cynical worldly woman cop (Griffith) into the strange world of Orthodox Jews when she goes undercover to investigate a murder. Her gradual acceptance into that world and growing respect for their customs and traditions was very moving to me. The warmth in the family meals and celebrations can be felt by the viewer and lets you understand how this cloistered world with rules for everything starts to look good to a woman who is so jaded and cynical in her outlook on life. The attraction between her and a Talmudic student provides sexual tension to the storyline, and the concept of finding the one person in all the world who was meant for you was so romantic.